Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Monday 14 February 2000

Scottish Executive

Business

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to account for the financial effect which the internet may have upon High Street business in Scotland and to ensure that such an effect is taken into account in the non-domestic rating system.

Henry McLeish: The effect of the Internet on High Street business is still largely a matter for speculation. The rating system in Scotland is designed to have regard to changes in economic and trading conditions.

Crime

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many telephone and mail interceptions relating to the prevention or detection of serious crime were approved in Scotland between 6 May 1999 and 1 June 1999, and how many have been approved since 1 June 1999.

Donald Dewar: Between 6 May and 1 June 1999 30 telephone interception warrants were authorised. During the period 1 June to 3 December 149 telephone intercepts were authorised. No mail intercepts were authorised during these periods.

Emergency Services

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what factors were taken into consideration in determining the grant-aided expenditure increases awarded to Scotland’s fire brigades for the year 2000-01.

Angus MacKay: Total fire service GAE was increased from £178.5million for 1999-2000 to £186.9 million for 2000-01 to include provision for increases in pay and pension costs, increased spending on community fire safety, improvements in health and safety training and improvements in the standards of volunteer units.

Emergency Services

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what formula was used to calculate the grant-aided expenditure increases awarded to Scotland’s fire brigades for the year 2000-01 and when it will be reviewed.

Angus MacKay: Total fire service GAE is distributed each year in accordance with a distribution formula agreed by the Distribution Committee of the Working Party on Local Government Finance. The formula is based on 3 indicators; namely, standardised establishments, standardised establishments per station and pensions. Standardised establishments, the primary indicator, are calculated from the approved establishment of each brigade standardised in terms of fire-fighter equivalents by weighting numbers in each rank according to relative average salaries. Certain elements of the formula have recently been reviewed, but no proposals for a full review have to date been put to the Distribution Committee.

Emergency Services

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether holiday pay for retained fire- fighters as required by the European Working Time Directive was taken into account in determining the grant-aided expenditure increases awarded to Scotland’s fire brigades for the year 2000-01.

Angus MacKay: Likely increases in pay costs were taken into account in the determination of total fire service GAE for each of the three years 1999-2000 to 2001-02, but the entitlement of retained fire-fighters to holiday pay is an issue which is still under consideration and no provision was expressly included on that account.

Health

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is issued to local health boards and health Trust boards on filling board vacancies and whether a standard application form for board membership is used by all health boards and Trusts.

Susan Deacon: The appointment of members to the boards of health boards and Trusts are made by me on behalf of Scottish Ministers. These appointments are made on merit, by fair and open process and are subject to independent assessment. When making appointments we consult the Chairs of the boards to take account of the balance of the boards and how they reflect their local communities.

  A standard application form is used for health board and Trust appointments. As I said in my answer to question S1W-3815, I am taking steps to improve the processes for NHS appointments and we have just reviewed and revised our application form. This is now being issued by the NHS Public Appointments Branch in the Health Department in response to requests for application forms.

Health

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to tackle any recruitment and salary problems in relation to biomedical scientists working in the NHS.

Susan Deacon: There is no evidence held centrally to suggest any widespread recruitment and retention issues surrounding this staff group.

  However, the recent pay offer to biomedical scientists, if accepted, will mean increases of up to 26% from 1 April 1999 for Trainee MLSOs, 7.1% for MLSO1s and 7.1% for MLSO2s with a further 3.25% for all these groups from April 2000.

Health

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the starting salary is of graduate biomedical scientists working in the NHS.

Susan Deacon: The current starting salary is £7,476.

  A pay offer to this group of staff has recently been made and, if accepted, this will mean that from 1 April 1999 the starting salary will increase to £9,420 and to £9,702 from 1 April 2000.

Health

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how the salary levels of biomedical scientists working in the NHS have changed over the last 10 years relative to those in other professions allied to medicine.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available centrally. However, the comparable staff group, MLSOs, salaries are shown in the table below:

  

 

1989

  

1999

  


 

Minimum

  

Maximum

  

Minimum

  

Maximum

  



Grade 1

  

7,415

  

10,148

  

11,812

  

15,546

  



Grade 2

  

10,554

  

13,889

  

16,169

  

21,276

  



Grade 3

  

14,444

  

16,248

  

22,127

  

24,891

  



Grade 4

  

16,897

  

19,007

  

25,885

  

29,118

Highlands and Islands

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the option of parties with MSPs representing the Highlands and Islands being able to nominate a representative to the Highlands and Islands Convention.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: We have already considered a variety of options for membership of the new Convention of the Highlands and Islands. As it will not be a forum for political debate, which should properly take place in this Parliament, representation by the political parties in the Highlands and Islands is unnecessary.

Millennium Volunteers Programme

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funds have been allocated to the Millennium Volunteers programme since its launch, how long the programme will continue and with what funding, and what organisations have received grants through the programme and for what purpose.

Jackie Baillie: The Millennium Volunteers programme was launched in December 1998, with £1.5 million for 1998-99 to 2000-01. The aim of the programme is for 1,000 young people each to undertake 200 hours of voluntary service by 2001. Grant offers made under the programme are set out in the table below. Grants are given towards expenditure on staff and related costs incurred in recruiting and supporting Millennium Volunteers.

  


MILLENNIUM VOLUNTEERS

  



Organisation

  

1999-2000
£

  

2000-01 
£

  



British Red Cross - Dumfries

  

17,950.00

  

12,200.00

  



British Red Cross - Glasgow

  

10,560.00

  

11,700.00

  



Cornerstone Community Centre

  

18,431.00

  

19,355.00

  



Edinburgh Cyrenians

  

19,316.00

  

19,823.00

  



Enable Services

  

19,708.00

  

19,984.00

  



Homestart Angus

  

15,080.53

  

15,717.12

  



Scottish Befriending Development 

  Forum

  

16,195.00

  

18,470.00

  



Scottish Conservation Projects

  

20,000.00

  

0.00

  



Scottish Youth Dance

  

19,000.00

  

19,570.00

  



Tweedale Association of Voluntary 

  Organisations

  

20,000.00

  

20,000.00

  



Young Women's Project

  

18,967.00

  

19,068.00

  



Edinburgh Volunteer Exchange

  

10,000.00

  

0.00

  



Fife Volunteering Development Agency

  

10,000.00

  

0.00

  



Inverclyde Volunteer Centre

  

10,000.00

  

0.00

  



Kincardine & Deeside Voluntary 

  Action Network

  

10,000.00

  

0.00

  



North Lanarkshire Volunteering 

  Development Agency

  

10,000.00

  

0.00

  



South Lanarkshire Volunteering 

  Enterprise

  

10,000.00

  

0.00

  



Voluntary Action Dumfries & 

  Galloway

  

10,000.00

  

0.00

  



Voluntary Action Volunteer Network, 

  Falkirk 

  

10,000.00

  

0.00

  



The Volunteer Centre, Stirling

  

10,000.00

  

0.00

  



West Lothian Local Volunteer Enterprise

  

10,000.00

  

0.00

  



Mastrick Young Unemployed Project

  

7,480.00

  

14,810.00

  



The Prince's Trust Scotland

  

8,294.25

  

15,925.50

  



Youth Clubs Scotland

  

4,909.00

  

14,728.00

  



The Web Project

  

9,037.24

  

14,695.30

  



Homestart Kintyre

  

9,689.00

  

17,150.00

  



North Ayrshire Advocacy Service

  

7,790.00

  

13,000.00

  



Callander Youth Project

  

8,070.00

  

17,297.00

  



Braendam Family House

  

9,669.00

  

8,104.00

  



Venture Scotland

  

11,583.20

  

19,723.64

  



CSV Community History Project

  

12,057.00

  

8,612.00

  



3M's Project

  

7,426.56

  

14,949.50

  



Replies Youth Information Project

  

795.00

  

1,490.00

  



Queen's Cross Housing Association

  

8,750.00

  

15,000.00

  



Pan Highland 2000

  

5,347.00

  

14,653.00

  



Utheo Ltd

  

10,254.00

  

15,660.00

  



East Dunbartonshire Volunteering 

  Development Agency

  

5,000.00

  

5,000.00

  



Mid & East Lothian Volunteer 

  Development Agency

  

9,900.00

  

9,900.00

  



The Volunteer Centre Glasgow 

  

5,000.00

  

5,000.00

  



Voluntary Action Orkney

  

4,994.50

  

4,994.50

  



West Dunbartonshire Volunteer Development 

  Agency

  

5,000.00

  

5,000.00

Rural Affairs

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3360 by Ross Finnie on 20 January 2000, whether a place of work has been decided for the new intake of Rural Affairs Department staff; if so, what criteria was applied in reaching this decision and, if not, what consideration will take place to ensure geographical dispersal of employment.

Ross Finnie: Most of the new posts are likely to be in the Department’s existing network of Area Offices.

Rural Affairs

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the study undertaken by the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute into the impact of banning hunting with dogs on the rural economy will be published.

Ross Finnie: The study has been extended to cover additional aspects of hunting with dogs and consequently publication will be delayed until the report has been completed.

Warm Deal

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what systems of quality control are in place for work carried out under the Warm Deal and what systems are in place to ensure that the Warm Deal is giving the best value for money.

Mr Frank McAveety: Local authorities must establish best value in the delivery of works under the Warm Deal and satisfy themselves as to quality control procedures. The remainder of the programme is administered by Eaga. The contractors they use are appointed by competitive tendering. Eaga’s quality control procedures conform to ISO9000.